Educational principles underpinning successful shared learning

Changes taking place within the National Health Service (NHS) are influenci ng the content and format of health care education at both pre- and past-qu alification levels. Greater emphasis is being placed on the need for health care practitioners robe able to integrate and collaborate with their collea gues. Multi-professional learning is one important strategy being increasin gly used to develop these skills. This paper focuses on three aspects of mu lti-professional shared learning. First the central role of the learner in the educational process if described and the levels of knowledge, skills an d attitudes that comprise a learner's 'Readiness' for Inter-Professional Le arning (RIPLS) are discussed. Second, the authors experiences of designing and implementing a multi-professional shared learning course are discussed. Finally, the rationale for shared learning and the wider context in which shared learning takes place are explained, and the underlying educational p rinciples are identified. The resulting guidelines, summarized as a checkli st, can be used as a framework when planning and organizing shared learning programmes.